On October 1, 2023, one family woke up to every parent’s nightmare — their daughter’s phone was blowing up with messages from friends. Someone had taken innocent photos from her Instagram, run them through an AI app called DNGG, and created fake, nude images that quickly spread through her high school.

This chilling episode of Scrolling 2 Death exposes the disturbing rise of AI-powered nudify apps that can “digitally undress” anyone in seconds. Though DNGG has been taken down, countless others have replaced it.

You'll also learn of the surprising role that Snapchat plays in this story; how Snap completely ignored both the families affected and also police warrants from investigators.

We unpack how these apps work, the devastating emotional impact on victims, and what parents, platforms, and policymakers must do to protect teens from this new form of digital abuse.

Thank you to Anna McAdams for sharing this vulnerable yet empowering story.

Take it Down Service by NCMEC

Support for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors by RAINN

CertifyAI Service

The Heat is On is a new investigative series by Scrolling 2 Death, in partnership with Heat Initiative. Co-hosts Sarah Gardner, Founder and CEO of Heat Initiative, and Nicki Petrossi, Host of Scrolling 2 Death, are exposing the truth Big Tech doesn’t want you to hear – and this episode is all about Apple.‍

Apple revolutionized personal computing and their products didn’t just change technology — they changed childhood: putting powerful, addictive devices directly in kids’ hands. 88% of teens now own an iPhone.

Apple has convinced us that parental controls keep iPhones and iPads “safe”, but that is an illusion.

In this episode, Sarah and Nicki dig into the core apps and platforms available to children through Apple devices: iMessage, Screen Time, The App Store, and iCloud.

Disclaimer: This episode includes discussion of child sexual abuse and online child exploitation. If you or someone you know is a victim of exploitation, contact the CyberTipline at NCMEC: report.cyberti.org. Or text Hello to 741741 for immediate assistance.

Here's what you can do to put pressure on Apple:

1. Sign up for our campaign updates at scrolling2death.com/heat.
2. Share this episode with a friend and family member.
3. Choose a child-safe device.

In Part 2, you will learn about changes that Apple can make to better protect kids, and how we pressure Apple to act.

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Thank you to our expert guests:

Jonathan Haidt - Author of The Anxious Generation

Paul Raffile - Cyber analyst and sextortion expert

Chris McKenna – Digital safety advocate and founder of Protect Young Eyes

Video Editing by Jacob Meade

Today, Character.AI shocked the world by announcing a ban on users under 18 from using its chatbots. But when you read the fine print, the story gets murky. Is this real protection for kids — or another Big Tech PR spin? Nicki Petrossi breaks it down with Sarah Gardner of Heat Initiative and attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett from the Social Media Victims Law Center.

Parents can join us in putting pressure on Big Tech by signing up here: scrolling2death.com/heat